Cost of Living Comparison Between Fortaleza and San Juan Cost of Living Comparison Between Fortaleza and San Juan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $825 per month in Fortaleza vs $807 in San Juan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,273 per month in Fortaleza vs $1,284 in San Juan, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,720 per month in Fortaleza vs $1,761 in San Juan, rent included.

Fortaleza costs about 2% more than San Juan, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Fortaleza and San Juan are more affordable than the global median – Fortaleza 39% lower, San Juan 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.29 R$26.76

$2.82 ₱171

87.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.61 R$175

$8.89 ₱540

289.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.13 R$36.09

$3.48 ₱212

104.89%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R$10.41

$2.82 ₱171

-26.95%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 R$5.60

$0.79 ₱47.69

40.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.16

$0.47 ₱28.55

31.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 R$10.19

$1.45 ₱88.0

38.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.74

$2.07 ₱126

78.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 R$5.56

$1.75 ₱106

-37.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$1.55 ₱93.9

23.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.79

$1.01 ₱61.1

12.87%

Eggs

$1.83 R$9.24

$2.04 ₱124

-10.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.09 R$35.91

$8.24 ₱501

-13.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 R$16.70

$5.03 ₱305

-34.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.27 R$41.89

$10.52 ₱639

-21.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 R$12.29

$2.32 ₱141

4.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.81

$1.52 ₱92.5

-24.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.80 R$4.03

$3.20 ₱195

-75.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R$7.64

$1.15 ₱69.5

31.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.34

$1.68 ₱102

-25.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.37

$3.56 ₱216

-70.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 R$4.78

$1.12 ₱68.0

-16.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 R$4.20

$0.90 ₱54.6

-7.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.09 R$10.57

$2.87 ₱175

-27.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.69 R$33.89

$7.38 ₱448

-9.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 R$7.19

$0.73 ₱44.21

94.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 R$8.17

$1.57 ₱95.3

2.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 R$4.20

$0.16 ₱9.53

418.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.83 R$156

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R$5.52

$0.70 ₱42.29

55.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 R$3.81

$0.22 ₱13.27

240.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 R$30.75

$2.16 ₱131

181.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.60

$1.13 ₱68.5

-1.77%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$20.0K R$101.1K

$28.2K ₱1.7M

-29.13%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.6K R$139.8K

$17.9K ₱1.1M

53.97%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$106 R$538

$128 ₱7,786

-17.11%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$15.52 R$78.6

$32.48 ₱1,972

-52.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.92 R$90.7

$26.92 ₱1,634

-33.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.01 R$117

$72.3 ₱4,389

-68.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.75 R$216

$4.38 ₱266

876.03%

Cinema Ticket

$6.31 R$31.97

$3.97 ₱241

58.94%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$226 R$1,144

$145 ₱8,811

55.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,145 R$10.9K

$4,254 ₱258.3K

-49.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.98 R$248

$45.28 ₱2,749

8.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.90 R$222

$34.63 ₱2,103

26.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 R$471

$68.5 ₱4,162

35.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.7 R$297

$114 ₱6,895

-48.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$313 R$1,583

$264 ₱16.0K

18.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 R$992

$108 ₱6,563

81.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 R$1,924

$1,257 ₱76.3K

-69.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 R$1,718

$402 ₱24.4K

-15.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,584 R$13.1K

$2,130 ₱129.3K

21.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,113 R$5,632

$1,077 ₱65.4K

3.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$465 R$2,355

$242 ₱14.7K

92.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.17

91.09%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Fortaleza: June 7, 2026

Last update for San Juan: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $313 in Fortaleza versus $264 in San Juan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 92% higher in Fortaleza, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Fortaleza versus $9.00 in San Juan. Groceries tell a different story – $178 in Fortaleza vs $215 in San Juan – so Fortaleza wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Fortaleza vs San Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fortaleza costs about 2% more than San Juan, with the gap driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,238 per month in Fortaleza and $1,211 in San Juan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Juan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Fortaleza and $9.00 in San Juan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 21% cheaper in Fortaleza – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $825 in Fortaleza and $807 in San Juan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Juan costs $807 versus $825 in Fortaleza. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with San Juan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fortaleza makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.